Vehicle pneumatic suspension system



April 9, 1963 A. P. FRElTAS ETAL 3,084,952

VEHICLE PNEUMATIC SUSPENSION SYSTEM Filed Nov. 19. 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Ava/(wax April 9, 1963 I A. P. FREITAS ETAL 3,084,952

VEHICLE -PNEUMATIC SUSPENSION SYSTEM Filed NW. 19, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2ZAA Army/5).

United States Patent 3,084,952 VEHICLE PNEUMATIC SUSPENSION SYSTEMAnthony P. Freitas, 8476 Chestnut Ave., South Gate, Calif., andGrenville C. Stone, 1801 McMillan Sh, Compton, Calif.

Filed Nov. 19, 1959, Ser. No. 854,141 1 Claim. (Cl. 280-112) Ourinvention relates to improvements in vehicle suspensions, andparticularly to pneumatic type suspension of vehicles upon the axlethereof; and the objects of our invention are, first, to provide a lowmount suspension of the pneumatic type of 1a vehicular frame, whichsuspension, while resilient, will not affect detrimentally the stabilityof the body of the vehicle either laterally or longitudinally; second,to provide a vehicular suspension of the pneumatic type employing apontoon shaped bracket arrangement affixed to the axle of the vehiclefor the symmetrical mounting of a plurality of pneumatic suspensionmeans about the axle; third, to provide a pontoon shaped suspensionarrangement in connection with a vehicle suspension employing pneumaticstructures supporting the body of the vehicle upon the axles thereof, inwhich such pneumatic structures are arranged between said pontoon shapedbracket and said vehicular body in such a manner as to result in the lowmounting of the body upon the axles of the vehicle; fourth, to providean arrangement of the pneumatic type suspension of a. vehicular frame orbody upon the axles of a vehicle permitting the resilient low mountingof the frame or body Without detrimental clfcct on its relativestability.

We attain these and other objects by means of the construction andarrangement illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- FIGURE 1is a side elevation of our suspension system;

FIGURE 2 is a rear elevation of our invention;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of our invention; and

FIGURE 4 is a view in the perspective of the pontoon shaped structureemployed in this embodiment of our invention.

Similar parts throughout the several views are designated by similarnumerals.

Referring to the drawings accompanying the specification, our vehiclesuspension system comprises generally a combination of pneumaticstructures and arrangements supporting the frame or body of the vehicleupon the axles thereof, and means for assuring lateral and longitudinalstability of the vehicular frame or body by mechanical means such astorsion bars and hydraulic type shock absorbers.

As illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the pneumatic typesuspension system comprises a vehicular frame, 10, resiliently supportedupon the axle housing, 11, carried by wheels, 12, through the use offour pneumatic type suspension devices, 13, two of them being positionedon each side of the chassis frame one forwardly and one rearwardly ofthe axle housing, 11. The pneumatic type suspension devices, 13, arewell known to the art and comprise bellows into which airflow iscontrolled by suitable load responsive delayed action valve means from areservoir to provide a cushioning effect when loads are applied uponsaid bellows.

The two pneumatic suspension devices positioned forwardly and roarwardlyof the axle housing respectively on each side of the frame :are mountedon a bracket, 14, shown in the illustrated drawings of pontoon shape.

The top portion of the bracket comprises level end 3,034,952 PatentedApr. 9, 1933 portions, 15, and a raised medial portion, 16, rigidlyaffixed to the axle housing, 11, adjacent to the inner wheel, 12, of adual wheel assembly. The bottom portion of the bracket is substantiallypontoon shaped, that is, it comprises a substantially horizontal medialportion, 17, and upwardly slanted end portions, 18, which end portionsare positioned under the level end portions, 15, of the top portion ofthe bracket, 14. The level end portions, 15, each providing support fora pneumatic type suspension device, which is thus fitted and positionedbetween each level end portion, 15, of the top of the bracket, 14, andthe bottom of the frame, 10*.

A hydraulic type shock absorber, 19, is attached to the outside of theframe, 10, and to the outside of the bracket, 14, the top end of theshock absorber, 19, is rotatably affixed to the frame, 10, by means of abolt, 20, welded to the frame, 10, and the lower portion of the shockabsorber, 19, is secured to the bracket, 14, by means of an extensionmember, 22, rigidly afiixed to the medial portion of the bottom portionthereof, by means of a bolt, 23.

For the purpose of controlling torque and to provide for the stabilityof the vehicular frame or body, 10, a U-shaped torsion bar, 25, ispivotally attached between the underside of the frame, 10, and the axlehousing, 11, the ends of the U-shaped torsion bar being hinged inextension brackets, 26, welded to the axle housing, 11, outside of theattachment of the bracket, 14, supporting the pneumatic suspensiondevices, 13, to the axle housing, 11, and the horizontal portion of thetorsion bar, 25, extending through sleeves, 27, rigidly secured to theunderside of the vehicle frame, It). A torque rod, 28, is pivotallysuspended between a hinge, 29, welded to the medial portion of the axlehousing, 11, and a hinge, 30, rigidly secured to the inside of thevehicular frame or body, 10.

An additional torque bar, 33, extends along the longitudinal center lineof the frame, 10, and is pivotally attached to the underside, 32, of theaxle housing and to a hinge, 34, secured to a transverse member, 35,afiixed to the frame, 10.

The pontoon shaped bracket, 14, may be fabricated of sheet steel, and aslot, 31, may be provided in the raised medial top portion of thebracket, 14, to facilitate the welding of the bracket, 14, to the axlehousing, 11.

While specific forms of our invention have been described, it isunderstood that the same may be modified without departing from thespirit of our invention as defined in the appended claim.

We claim:

In an automotive vehicle, the combination of: a frame having a pair oflongitudinal side members and a transverse frame member extendingbetween said side members; an axle extending transversely across saidframe; a pontoon-shaped bracket disposed parallel with and spaced beloweach of said frame side members, said axle being spaced longitudinallyfrom said transverse frame member and secured to the upper mid-portionof each of said brackets so as to be supported by said brackets; fourpneumatic type suspension devices, said devices being operativelyinterposed between the front and rear ends of said brackets and theunderside of said frame side members; a horizontally extending,generally U-shaped torsion bar having its opposite ends pivotallysecured to the opposite sides of said axle outwardly of said suspensiondevices and its intermediate portion pivotally connected to said frameside members; a transversely extending downwardly inclined torque rodhaving it lower end pivotally connected to the intermediate portion ofsaid I s,oe4,952 3 4 axle and its upper end pivotally connected to: saidframe, References Cited in the file of this patent said torque rodoverlying said axle and being panallel UNITED STATES PATENTS therewith;a shock absorber extending between each of said brackets and the frameside member disposed there- 2901240 g above; a second torque barextending along the longi- 5 2902291 g er g 1961 tudinal center line ofsaid frame having its lower end 297O848 Ice h e pivotally attached tothe center of said axle and its upper F end attached to saidtransverseframe member; and Wheel OTHER REFERENCES means on the oppositesides of said axle outwardly of German p Publlcatlon, 1,046,510, 1366-1958,

said torsion bar. 10 D 24349 lI/63C.

